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Ed’s Driveway: Driving Lessons

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CHICAGO (CBS) – My kids learned to drive on quiet streets and busy expressways. But knowing the limitations of your car and your skill is why I thought it was a good idea to get my 18 year old son some additional driving lessons…on a race track.

First, I introduced Jeff to the Chevy Camaro SS. Then, I introduced him to Phil Mirenda of CGI Motorsports. The day starts, not on the track, but in a classroom.

From hand placement at 3 and 9 o’clock to setting your 3 mirrors for a panoramic view, eliminating blind spots as best you can.

Learning the layout of Michigan’s Gingerman Raceway was important before ever getting behind the wheel, and how to conquer every corner . It’s all about being smooth, being focused, driving smart. It’s a level of driving, and a respect for the vehicle, that some of us only learn by accident.
Phil explains, “as soon as we hit 15, 16 years old…we are great drivers, in our own minds. And one thing they learn, when they come out to a venue such as this…they learn that they are not the great driver that they thought they were.”

The theory’s in the classroom. The testing’s on the track.

Good driving means paying attention to the car, the road, the elements, and your instructor.

Jeff takes a corner is at 45 miles per hour. Braking, turning just right, accelerating, but not too soon. The very next driver makes a minor mistake, literally taking a spin in his Miata.

Better it happens here at Gingerman Raceway, than on the Kennedy Expressway.

CGI Motorsports has all day sessions that start at a cost of $195. An instructor costs a little more. My son loved his lessons and I think he has a better grasp of what it takes to control a car, and what focusing on your driving is all about.

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